RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society: http://www.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/ss/hpmrs/
The latest publication from Kestrel Railway Books is:
Liverpool & Manchester 1: LNWR Lines by Bob Pixton
The thirty-mile long band of land between Manchester and Liverpool must have one of the densest railway networks in the country. There are over eighty stations, seven termini and ten engine sheds, and this takes no account of the north-to-south lines, goods lines and dock railways. Add to this the fact that some of the earliest railway lines in the world were developed here and you have one of the most fascinating railway areas in England.
Three of the best known railway companies competed for the vast amount of people and materials moved, much of it originating in the pits and steel mills of Yorkshire, and ending in the docks in the two cities. The respective ends of the lines in each city were no more than 1,000 yards apart from each other, yet in the countryside of Lancashire they ranged from Wigan in the north to Widnes in the south, a distance of over fifteen miles. It is still possible to travel over 120 miles of these lines today. This book takes us on two imaginary journeys between the cities, traced station by station, along the two lines operated by the London and North Western Railway.
Two further volumes in this series will cover the routes operated by the Cheshire Lines Committee and the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway to complete a comprehensive survey of lines between these major cities.
Price: £14.95 ISBN: 0954485998 Softback - 124 pages, with over 200 illustrations including maps. http://www.kestrelrailwaybooks.co.uk/
***** Special price to HPMRS members: £12.00 *****
The long-awaited update of The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway by G.A. Brown, J.D.C.A. Prideaux and H.G. Radcliffe with added material by G.A. Brown and P.J.M. Rawstron has been published by the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust (Surrey Support Group). The book has 163 pages together with 233 photographs, drawings and tables that detail the infrastructure and rolling stock of the original railway, together with a new section describing the rebuilding and restoration of the railway. It can be purchased for £9.95 plus P&P to an UK address. For the time being, the new edition of the book will only be available direct from the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. All proceeds from the sale of this new book will go to help the further rebuilding and restoration of the railway. For further information and details of how to order please view the Surrey Support Group website at:
http://lynbarnrail.atspace.com/book.html
A planned industrial unit will breach the trackbed of the Penrith-Keswick railway at Flusco. You can object to the proposal through this link:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cresswellavenue/LATESTNEWS.HTM
A couple of weeks ago (3rd February) I mentioned Robbie's Rolling Stock:
http://www.robbiesrollingstock.co.uk
HPMRS member Lawrence Hannay thought it might be a nice idea to get Robbie to produce a "special" as an unusual Valentine's present for Melissa. You can see the result at:
http://www.lchanney.plus.com/Railways/MHF.jpg
Lawrence reports that the lady herself is very pleased with it, and that Robbie is spot-on for helpfulness, quality, responsiveness and price. Needless to say, Robbie's service is wholeheartedly recommend! (The turn-around time of less than two weeks speaks for itself, I'd say!)
Nick Wheat sends details of the Gensheet eGroup for messages about UK railways passenger train diversions and unusual routings. Both future (especially welcome) and recent news and "rare track gen" can be posted and discussed:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/gensheet
News from several correspondents concerning the proposed demolition of the former Pullman Car Co works at Brighton.
Apparently, Network Rail is on the point of demolishing the works, which were last used by the Pullman Car company in November 1963. The shed contains several items of rolling stock (listed below). Network Rail have said that if the owners do not come forward before 17th February at noon, the building will be demolished with the stock inside.
Latest news is that most items had offers with a substantial number likely to be split between the Bluebell and Swanage. It is understood that all the LBSCR items are likely to go to the Bluebell, and that the only items without potential homes are thought to be a tank wagon, the two R&H industrial shunters and a tube wagon. The biggest issue is that the works has no road access and is no longer rail connected. This is making it very expensive to remove rolling stock and it will need co-operation from Network Rail which will hopefully be forthcoming. Without this there would appear to be no alternative but for them to be broken up on site.
You will most probably be reading this after the deadline passes, but if anyone wishes to make a claim to any of the vehicles inside, contact pauline.reith@networkrail.co.uk (020 7902 3324) immediately.
Locomotives: 08 Shunter D3255 disposed to NCB at Maerdy, 1972 Ruston Hornsby 0-4-0 260754 Ruston Hornsby 0-4-0 260755 "Bessie" (1950)
Coach: Pullman Sleeping Car "Balmoral"
GUV - steam heated GWR Siphon G SR 'B' (?)
Wagons LBSCR 4-plank open wagon, grease axleboxes 12-wheeled bogie well wagon DB 901203, type YSW... ...carrying 4-wheel LBSCR brake van Condor Conflat wagon B510042, already disposed to SRPS 24½-ton coal wagon (Ministry of Supply?) "Brighton Rail Museum" 4-wheel Palbrick(?) 10-ton painted No 9 Tube? SRV? ESSO tank B125 (?) on end, registered with LMS July 1943: 164596 Shell-Mex tank 5173 on end Shell internal user (?) A6915 RN van RN van - low top ex-Gosport? Van 787279 outside, disposed by SR, Croydon 1986 Van 786914 ditto
Another demolition, spotted by Richard Buckby, concerns the final active section of Derby Locomotive Works (the bogie facility). Pictures showing the demolition (which will leave just the Midland Railway roundhouse and associated buildings) are here:
http://www.6lda28.com/brel/demo.html
Richard has also spotted a reference to a London Underground anagram map - someone has clearly had fun with a web-based anagram generator!
http://www.unfortu.net/anagrammap/
Michael Morant has added to his ever-expanding fotopic site:
http://gallery62603.fotopic.net/c861928.html
Ralph Rawlinson sends news that a new long distance rail corridor linking Lisbon to Kiev is to be built right across Europe. The railway, whose working title is TAV, will eventually run via Madrid, Barcelona, Lyon, Turin, Milan, Trieste and Budapest a distance of some 2,500 miles. The Lyon - Turin time alone is expected to be slashed from four hours to 90 minutes. A 33-mile tunnel costing £11billion is to be constructed on the French/Italian border whilst another, 13 miles long, is to be bored under Mount Musine (the "Magic Mountain"). As Ralph observes, "It makes the proposed all-new high speed line from London - Scotland look like a branch line, and no doubt we will still be talking about ours when this one is in use!"
Tim's Bus Gallery:
Andrew Myhill's website shows some eastern England fleets, including some fine shots of the Eastern Counties most handsome privatisation livery:
http://eastanglianbuses.fotopic.net/
What a vehicle!! Only 12 were made... I want one...
Heritage railways under threat? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/13/nsteam13.xml
First Great Western consults over plans: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4711676.stm
Gloucester waits on £20m station decision: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4712192.stm
Severn Tunnel closes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4708462.stm
OAPs rail travel scheme campaign: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/4711768.stm
Mayor to control Metro services: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4711976.stm
Steam railways face funding cut-back: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4714090.stm
Rescued loco pulls passengers again: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4707756.stm
| Discovery's programmes are no longer included, but their daily schedules are here: http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/_listings/ and http://discoverywings.co.uk/_listings/ | ||
| Sun Feb 19 | 1100-1200 | BBC1 'Countryfile' A journey on the Grand Union Canal |
| Sun Feb 19 | 1650-1755 | Channel 4 'Scrappy Races Rally' Racing vehicles made from junk |
| Sun Feb 19 | 2320-2350 | BBC1 'Rail Cops' Documentary on the British Transport Police |
| Mon Feb 20 | 2000-2100 | Five 'Megastructures' World's most powerful dam (Brazil) |
| Tue Feb 21 | 1340-1530 | Channel 4 'Titanic' 1953 movie |
| Thu Feb 23 | 1930-2000 | ITV1 Meridian 'The Way We Were' A look back at school 50 years ago |
| Thu Feb 23 | 1930-2000 | ITV1 West 'Secret Underground' The Severn Tunnel |
See Mainline Steam Tours page for up-to-date info on many of these tours, and others, often with timings.
| For up-to-date information on many of the tours mentioned in RAILDATE (and others) often with timings, see the Steam Tours pages at: http://www.uksteam.info/index.shtml | ||
| All details are correct to the best of my knowledge. No responsibility is taken for inaccuracies or changes. | ||
| Sat Feb 18 - Sun Feb 19 | 1000-1730 |
Festival of British Railway Modelling
Yorkshire Exhibition Centre, Harrogate Showground 1000-1730 both days |
| Tue Feb 21 | 1930 |
IRS&TH Public Lectures: 'Transporting Society'
A series of public lectures to mark the 10th anniversary of the Institute of Railway Studies, and the expansion of the Institute's remit to include all modes of transport 'Fast Forward: speed and the commodification of time since the coming of the railways' Dr Peter Lyth (University of Nottingham Business School) University of York, in room P/L001 (Physics building) at 1930 http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/presspr/ppr/ocourses.htm |
| Wed Feb 22 | 1400 |
Institute of Railway Studies and Transport History
The Yorkshire Rail Academy at the NRM, York The YRA is reached from within the Warehouse at the NRM off the Great Hall and is not open to the general public - use the entryphone to get in Research Workshop: Railways and the construction of British landscapes Alan Bennett (IRS&TH) Dorset and the Wessex Line: Great Western & Southern Railway Jill Murdoch (IRS&TH) Return to Arcadia: railways, the painted landscape and the consumption of culture Starts 14.00 |
| Thu Feb 23 | 1930 |
An evening of archival railway film
County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex Includes some footage from the newly released Southern Steam DVD, including Brighton Shed 1937, the motor train service between Bognor and West Worthing 1937, Southern Railway Footplate Rides 1939, and other general film of steam operation in the UK Starts 1930 Tickets £3.50 including refreshments only available in advance from West Sussex Record Office, Chichester |
| Fri Feb 24 - Sun Feb 26 | 1100-2000(Fri) 1000-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Model Rail Scotland
Scottish Exhbition Centre, Glasgow 1100-2000 (Fri), 1000-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) |
| Sat Feb 25 | ? |
Eastleigh Model Railway Exhibition
HPMRS member Derek Gillkerson will be exhibiting 'New Stanton Lees' |
| Sat Feb 25 - Sun Feb 26 | ? |
Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club Exhibition
Leatherhead Leisure Centre, Leatherhead, Surrey http://www.carshalton-sutton-mrc.co.uk |
| Tue Feb 28 | 1930 |
West Somerset Railway Bristol Group
The BAWA, Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol 'Gone but not Forgotten' - Peter Triggs Starts 1930 for 1945 http://www.wsra.org.uk |
| Tue Feb 28 | 1930 |
IRS&TH Public Lectures: 'Transporting Society'
A series of public lectures to mark the 10th anniversary of the Institute of Railway Studies, and the expansion of the Institute's remit to include all modes of transport 'Sustainability, mobility and timetables : the confessions of a deep green railwayman' Mr Jonathan Tyler (Passenger Transport Networks, York) University of York, in room P/L001 (Physics building) at 1930 http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/presspr/ppr/ocourses.htm |
| Fri Mar 03 - Sun Mar 05 | ? | Mid-Hants Watercress Line: Spring Steam Gala http://www.watercressline.co.uk |
| Sat Mar 04 | 1030-1700 |
South Hants MRC Portsmouth Model Railway Exhibition
Admiral Lord Nelson School, Dundas Lane, Ocean Park, Portsmouth 1030-1700 |
| Sat Mar 04 | 1030-1700 |
Abingdon & District MRC Model Railway Show
White Horse Leisure & Tennis Centre, Audlett Drive, Abingdon 1030-1700 http://www.abingdonmrc.org.uk/exhibition |
| Sat Mar 04 - Sun Mar 05 | 1030-1530 |
Stafford Railway Collectors Fair
GEC, St Leonard's Avenue, Stafford 1030-1530 |
| Sat Mar 04 - Sun Mar 05 | 1000-1700 |
Cardiff Model Raiway Exhibition
UWIC Assembly Hall, Cardiff 1000-1700 both days http://www.cardiffmodelrail.org.uk |
| Sat Mar 05 | 1000-1600 |
Romsey Signal Box Open Day
1000-1600; Admission free (donations welcome!)
Romsey Infants School, Plaza Parade, Winchester Rd, Romsey Car park in school grounds http://www.romseysignalbox.org.uk |
| Cheers, Howard. editor@raildate.co.uk | ||